Insulation-smoothing device



May 8,1923.

- J.-A. HEANY INSULATION SMOOTHING DEVICE Filed April 10 1919 A TTOiF/Vf Patented JOHN ALLEN HEANY, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO ROCKBESTOS PRODUCjI'S CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

INSULATION-SMOOTHING DEVICE. 7

Application filed Aprfl 10, 1919. Serial No. 289,128.

To all whom it concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN ALLENYHEANY,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of. New Haven, in the county oi New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Insulation-Smoothing Devices, of which the following is a, specification. v

This invention relates to smoothing and finishing devices for insulated wire and particularly for wire having a substantially rectangular cross-section, although it is equally well adapted for use with insulated wire having a round or circular cross-section.

In a co-pending application Serial No. 262,873, filed November 16, 1918, I have disclosed amethod and means for insulating flat-Wire conductors including a smoothing and finishing device, which comprises means for engaging and supporting one face of-the wire while the opposite face is being transversely smoothed. This device has proven very successful-in practice, articularly in cases where the conductor eing operated upon has possessed a very substantial width in proportion to its thickness. I have discovered, however, that especially in cases where wire is being covered whose thickness is greater in proportion to its width, al-

though the device is also adapted to perform the smoothing and polishing operation on wire of greater width, means can be provided for transversely smoothing both of the opposite faces of the wire at the same time and without providing a; supporting structure for engaging one face oftlie wire. In

order'to accomplish this, I provide wiping members of-a' light and resilient character, such as thin flat strips of spring-metal, which are supplemented in their pressure-exerting action by compression-springs whose effective pressure is broughtto bear on the wiping members immediately opposite their points of contact with the interposed conductor. In order to produce an eflicient device in which the wiping members are driven at a comparatively high speed, the wiping memhere are mounted on a rotatable carrier which is preferably-directly attached to the rotor of an electric motor through the axis and armature of whichthe conductor undergoing the-finishing operation is preferablyirectly led By this arrangement the con- 'ductor covered by insulating material, such as fibrous asbestos the form of strands such as are obtained by the process disclosed in my companion application Serial No. 273,045, filed January 25, 1919, and freshly treated with a suitable binding liquid, is drawn through the smoothing device, in which the wiping members are caused to engage the surface of the conductor and, in

their rotation transversely about the conduc tor as a center, are adapted to reduce the binder-impregnated fibrous coating to a smooth and uniform insulating layer.

Another feature of the invention resides in the peculiar cooperative relation that exists between the smoothing device and the actuating motor therefor, by which I am enabled to utilize the heating and 1 air-circulating effects produced in the operation of the motor forexerting a drying influence on the insulating covering for. the conductor.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a smoothing device embodying a preferred form of the invention, together with the actuatmg motor which drives the device, and

1 showing the path of travel of the conductor through the smoothing device and the motor;

carried by the base member 1 and having I their free ends arranged in an'adjacent re-- lation' to each other and in a position to make contact with opposite surfaces of an interposed insulated conductor 10 as it drawn through the device.

The supporting framework for the wiping members 5" consists of the and pieces 8, mounted on the base. member 1,'and the side pieces 7 attached to the end pieces 6 so as to form arectangular frame in which the wiping members are mounted at diagonally-op- DOSite corners. It will be seen that the wiping members 5 have, in general, an S-shaped formation with their free ends brought into adjacent relation at substantially the central portion of the rectangular frame construction.

In order to make use of comparatively quickness of movement that is necessary for causing the wiping members to make close contact with every portion of the perimeter of the conductor as the members rotate about the conductor as a center, I preferably make use of a pair of pressure-exerting compression-springs S VVhlCh are seated in cavities 9 in the cored-outseats 10 and which directly engage the wiping members 5 at points on their surfaces directly opposite'those portions of the wiper surfaces which make contact with the conductor undergoing the smoothing operation. The effect of this is to bring a pressure to bear on the wiper members at just the right point to cause them to most effectively engage the interposed conductor, so that in the rapid rotation of the smoothing devices about the wire the entire surface of that portion of the insulation passing between the wiper members will be acted upon. It will be seen that the effective pressure brought to bear by the members 5 on theconductor may be adjusted and regulated by turning the seats 12 in the frame pieces ,7, the locking nuts 11 being used to hold the spring seats 12 at any desired adjustment.

In the operation of the device, the conductor 10 covered by a fibrous insulating layer in any desired manner and having a suitable liquid binder applied thereto, is drawn into the smoothing device and between the wip-. ing members 5, as indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawing. The rapid rotation of the wiping members transversel about the insulated conductor as an axis as the effect of quickly smoothing and compressing the surface of the binder-treated fibrous mass and converting it into a homogenous insulating layer with a uniformly smooth and even surface.

I find that avery convenient arrangement of the smoothin device and the driving means therefor 18 to rovide the driving motor with a hollow sia-ft coincident with the axis of the rotor shaft and through which the smoothly-wiped conductor is drawn as it emerges from the smoothing operation. This arrangement is not only a very convenient and simple one in that the direct driving relation between the motor and the smoothing device eliminates inter mediate driving elements, but the passing of the conductor directly through the motor is productive of a certain drying action, not only because of the heat produced by the operation of the motor, but also because the rapidly-rotating rotor acts to a certain extent as a fan or lower and causes a flow of air into and out of the motor interior that aids in drying the moist insulating covering of the conductor passing therethrough.

What I claim is 1. An insulation-smoothing device comprising: a plurality of resilient sheet-metal wiping members supported at one end and having their free ends arranged to engage an interposed conductor, pressure-exerting springs arranged to engage the free ends of said members and hold them in operative engagement with the conductor, and means for rotating said wiping members about said conductor as a center. 1-

2. An insulation smoothing device comprising: a framework, resilient wi ing members carried by the framework, an pressureexerting members carried by the framework. 1n opposed relation to each other and arranged to engage the wiping members opposite their points of engagement with an interposed conductor.

3. An insulation smoothing device comprising: a framework, resilient wiping members carried by the framework, pressure-exerting members carried by the framework in opposed relation to each other and arranged to engage the wiping members opposite their points of engagement with an interposed conductor, and means accessible from the outside of said framework for JOHN ALLEN HEANY. 

